Welcome to the The Conversation’s Election 2013 State of the Nation essays. These articles by leading experts in their field provide an in-depth look at the key policy challenges affecting Australia as…

Single parents are being left to their own devices.
Flickr/stephanskiJuni 25, 2013

In most countries children in lone parent families are at increased risk of experiencing poverty. In 2011, the proportion of lone parents below the poverty line in EU countries reached 33.5%, compared…

Single mothers on welfare need support for further education, not a cut to government payments.
Single mother image from www.shutterstock.comMaret 31, 2013

Unpopular Government cuts, introduced last year that have pushed more than 100,000 sole parents onto lower support payments, has left many families reeling with single mothers experiencing particular disadvantage…

Single mothers such as Michelle Daly have high aspirations for their children. Reducing their payments won’t help achieve them.
AAP/Lukas CochOktober 16, 2012

New legislation was passed last week to move single parents off the parenting payment, and onto the Newstart Allowance once their youngest child turns eight. Advocates for this change suggest that the…

The sooner we understand the risk factors that make children vulnerable to obesity, the more traction we can gain to reduce this number.
D. Sharon PruittDesember 14, 2011

In Australia, girls in single-parent families are at a higher risk of being overweight or obese than children in dual-parent families. This fits with recent research findings from the United States showing…